Configuration management of computer systems is one of the biggest tasks facing information technology managers. Many decisions are made based on the configuration details of many different computer systems throughout an organization, including dispatching technicians for repair or upgrade tasks, deploying an upgrade strategy or new software applications across a wide array of devices, or reconfiguring multiple server platforms for an enterprise.
In many cases, a configuration management database is used to store data about individual systems or devices. Decisions are often based on the contents of the database, but maintaining an up to date database is often a low priority for the busy technicians who perform the actual upgrades or administer changes to the systems.
Further, request for changes may be difficult to track in some instances, especially when the change requests may be in process. In larger companies with complex approval systems, a device may have multiple change requests pending that may adversely affect a proposed change request.